Vacuum cleaner nozzle



March 13, 1934. F. B. ALLEN 1,951,316

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Oct. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuwntoa F/e /vx 5 1444mm dbmmq March 13, 1934. ALLEN 1,951,316

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Oct. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 13, 1 934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,951,316 7 VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Frank B. Allen, Lower Marion Township, Montgomery County, Pa., assignor to The Allen- Sherman-Hofi Company,

I Pennsylvania a corporation of This invention relates to nozzles and more particularly to nozzles for cleaning devices such as vacuum cleaners and the like.

One object of this invention is to provide a l nozzle for suction cleaning devices that is so contoured interiorly as to cause the air to flow with a substantially uniform velocity from each and every portion of the inlet opening of the nozzle to the discharge outlet therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide for an equalized suction entirely across the air inlet orifice of a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle wherein it will take a given unit of air approximately the same length of time to move from a point at the center of the nozzle inlet opening to the outlet as it will take a corresponding unit of air to travel from points spaced on either side of the center of the 20 inlet to the discharge opening. Another object of this invention is to provide a nozzle for suction cleaning devices wherein the cleaning will be uniform for the full width of the inlet open- Other objects and advantageous features of my invention will be noted from the following description of several forms thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a plan View of a preferred form of my nozzle;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with certain of the parts dotted in;

85 Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the nozzle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with certain of the parts dotted in;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of nozzle; 7

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5; 1

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the nozzle shown in Fig. 5;

46 Fig. 8 is a view taken on the line 8- 8 of Fig.

'7; and

Fig. 9 is a median section of another form of nozzle.

The various designs of nozzles shown in the ac- 60 companying drawings are all based on the general principal of causing a uniform speed of air flow from each and every point of the inlet opening of the nozzle to the discharge outlet therefrom.

Ordinarily in existing designs of vacuum cleaner nozzles a given unit of air traverses a path somewhat shorter along the median line of the nozzle than the path that a corresponding unit of air traverses from theiends of the inlet to the outlet. I have provided a vacuum nozzle that is so contoured that the units of air traverse paths of equal length from any point along the inlet opening to the outlet.

This principle is to be found in all of the vacuum cleaner nozzles that I have shown in the accompanying drawings. In the form shown in Figs. 14, inclusive, the nozzle has been shaped into substantially a cone like form. More in particular, with reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the nozzle is substantially triangular in shape and is provided with a neck 2 at the apex of the triangle housing the discharge outlet 3. The neck provides a convenient means for attaching the nozzle to a vacuum cleaner.

The nozzle is also provided with a straight intake 4 across the base of the triangle that communicates with the interior of the nozzle and the discharge orifice 3.

The nozzle however is so contoured that the air paths from points a and b at the extreme ends of the base of the triangle to a point 0 at the apex of the triangle are of equal length. Further these paths are substantially equal in length to an imaginary path from d to c struck along the median line of the nozzle. In order that the lines or paths wc and bc may be equal in length to the path dc, I have compensated for the unequality that would ordinarily arise if all three paths were to lie in one plane by imparting to the nozzle a substantially cone like form. This is best shown in Fig. 3, wherein the lower end of the nozzle is struck on an are which makes the center, as at p, somewhat higher than the ends a and b. Hence, as shown in Fig. 2, a given unit of air entering the inlet at the center follows the path d-c and is first directed upwardly and thence along an inclined path to the outlet 3. However, a corresponding unit of air entering the inlet adjacent the ends, say at points a and 11, takes a relatively short rise and then flows in substantially a straight line, as indicated by bc, from the inlet to the outlet 3. The paths of air flowing on either side of the median line d c flow a distance substantially equal to the line ac, 12-0 or (1-0 by reason of the graduated curve of the nozzle.

In Figs. 5' to 8, inclusive, I have shown a slightly modified form of nozzle that, in plan, is substantially fan shaped rather than triangular as the nozzle shown in Fig. l. The same idea of producing air paths of substantially equal length, or at least of such length as will give an equal suctionacross the inlet orifice, is carried out, in this embodiment of the nozzle.

The nozzle consists of the discharge outlet 8 at one end of the nozzle and an arcuate inlet opening 4 that follows the contour of the forward end of the fan shaped nozzle. However instead of imparting a cone like form to the nozzle, 1 have turned the forward end thereof down so as to form an arcuate vertical portion 5 adjoining the substantially horizontal portion 6. Hence the air passing through the nozzle first follows a vertical path, as at '1, and then a substantially horizontal path, as at 8. Considering now the distance which the air streams cover, in going from various points along the inlet to the discharge outlet, the air traveling from point a. at the extreme end of the arcuate inlet to the point 0 within the discharge outlet traverses substantially the same distance as air flowing from point d along the median line to point 0, and air flowing from point b at the extreme opposite end of the inlet to point 0. Whereas in the form shown in Fig. l, the air paths are equalized by raising the nozzle in its center forward portion; in the form shown in Figs. 5-8, inclusive, the air paths are equalized by having the inlet opening describe an arc about a point substantially at the center of the outlet orifice. Thus air entering the nozzle at any point along the inlet first flows upwardly through the passage and thence in a substantially horizontal path to the discharge outlet 3.-

In Fig. 9, 'I have shown a slightly modified form of nozzle wherein the air streams are caused to traverse an undulating path e-f along the median line from the inlet 4 to the outlet 3, although the air streams at the corners a and b first move upwardly a very short distance and then are directed horizontally to the outlet 3, as indicated by g-f.

It is to be understood that my nozzle is adapted for uses other than in vacuum cleaners. For example,'nozzles made in accordance with my invention can be advantageously used for spraying liquids.

It is to be further understood that the nozzle may be given various contours to produce paths of equal distance from the inlet to the outlet without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the exact form shown herein but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scope of the claims appended hereto. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. In a suction cleaning nozzle, a housing having a discharge outlet, and an elongated inlet opening adapted to engage a flat surface, the distance from all points along. said inlet opening to said discharge outlet being substantially equal whereby the suction will be equalized along the entire length of said elongated opening.

2. In a suction cleaning nozzle, a discharge outlet, an elongated inlet opening, the distance from any point along said intake opening to said discharge outlet being substantially the same, said nozzle having a raised central portion, the highest point lying along the median line.

3. In a vacuum cleaning nozzle, a discharge outlet, an elongated inlet opening, a passage connecting the inlet with said discharge outlet, the

let, an elongated inlet openin a passage connecting said inlet opening with said discharge outlet, the air streams flowing through said nozzle being induced to first flow upwardly at the median line and thence rearwardly in another plane to said discharge nozzle, the air streams on either side of said median line being influenced to first fiow upwardly and thence rearwardly to said discharge nozzle in a plane lower than the plane of said air traversing the path along the median line.

5. An intake nozzle for. vacuum cleaning devices having an elongated inlet opening lying entirely in a plane, and a tubular discharge outlet having its longitudinal axis disposed at an oblique angle to the plane of said inlet, wherein the air streams flowing from the extreme ends of the inlet opening to the discharge outlet traverse paths substantially equal in length to the air streams flowing along and on either side of the median line.

6. In an intake nozzle for a suction cleaning device, a body portion having an elongated inlet at one end thereof and a tubular discharge outlet at the opposing end thereof, a passage communicating with said inlet and with said discharge outlet and located within the body of said nozzle, said body being substantially triangular in plan and being raised centrally along the base of the triangle to provide air paths along the median line substantially equal in length with air paths from the corners of the base to the discharge outlet.

7. In a suction cleaning nozzle, a discharge outlet, an elongated inlet opening, the distance from any point along said intake opening to said discharge outlet being substantially the same, said inlet opening being substantially arcuate and following the curvature of the housing.

8. In a vacuum cleaning nozzle, an inlet, an outlet, a passage communicating with said inlet and said outlet, said passage being so formed that air entering said inlet intermediate the ends of the inlet opening will be caused to follow an undulated path and air entering said inlet opening adjacent the extreme ends thereof will be caused to follow a substantially straight path to said discharge outlet.

9. In a nozzle, a housing having a passage therein, a rectilinear inlet opening at one end of said housing and in communication with said passage, an outlet in said housing and in communication with said passage, said passage lying on the surface of a cone wherein the apex lies substantially at the outlet and said inlet opening lying within the space enclosed by the surface of the cone.

10. In a nozzle, a housing having a passage therein, an inlet at one end of said housing and in communication with said passage, an outlet in said housing and in communication with said passage, said passage lying on the surface of a cone wherein the inlet lies on a chord drawn across the base of the cone.

11. In a nozzle, a hollow housing, the inner walls of which define a passage terminating at one end in an elongated opening having its edges lying in a plane and terminating at the opposite length between each point on said elongated inlet and said outlet.

13. A suction cleaner nozzle having a discharge outlet and an elongated inlet opening having edges adapted to simultaneously engage a flat surface, the distance from any point along said inlet opening to said discharge outlet being substantially the same as the distance from any other point along said elongated inlet opening to said discharge outlet.

14.- A nozzle of the type described comprising a housing, the walls of which define a chamber having an elongated inlet opening lying in a plane and a discharge opening, said discharge opening being disposed substantially equi-distant from every point along said inlet opening as measured on the shortest path therebetween on lines midway between the top and bottom walls of said housing, whereby uniform fluid flow conditions will exist through the nozzle.

15. A nozzle of the type described having an elongated inlet opening having edges adapted to simultaneously engage a flat surface and an outlet opening, the shortest fluid passage irom any point along said inlet opening to said outlet being substantially equal to the shortest fluid passage from any other point along said inlet to said outlet, whereby substantially equal fluid pressure conditions will be obtained at all points along said inlet opening.

16. A nozzle of the type described comprising a housing the'walls of which define a chamber having an elongated inlet opening lying in a plane and a discharge opening, the shortest fluid passage within said chamber from any point along said inlet opening to said outlet being substantially equal to the shortest fluid passage within said chamber from any other point along said inlet to said outlet.

' FRANK B. ALLEN. 

